Agent of Reincarnation
by Mr. Osborne
Summary: Dr. Carter receives a strange e-mail at work warning him that his life is in danger. After an attempt on his life, he receives a call from this person asking to meet. Complete, minor revisions.
1. Day 1 -- Premonition

Author's notes: First, the characters and setting are not mine. I'm doing this for fun, not for profit, so don't sue me. Second, I've made a few revisions, mainly to fix some grammar, and to fix a major goof. The goof being that it's impossible for a someone to carry a 150lb man in their arms or over their shoulders if they're smaller than the man.The story and plot are mine.****

**Agent of Reincarnation**

**Day 1**

"Lucy...."

Blood... blood all around her. Life... oozing out of her. No. No.

"No!!!!!"

Carter shot up in bed, the nightmare having left him covered in sweat. It had been several months since he had a nightmare.

On February 14, 2000, Valentines Day, Carter walked into Exam six and the next thing he knew he was in pain and on the floor. The next thing he saw was Lucy Knight, on the floor, the floor next to her covered in blood, her eyes wide open and focused on him. That was the last time he saw her alive. She died from a blood clot after the staff stabilized her and moved her up to the ICU. He had heard that Romano knocked over a tray, out of anger, when he couldn't save her.

In the months that followed, he tried to come to terms with what happened. He spoke to Paul Sobricki's wife, and confided in Gamma. But he still couldn't forgive himself. He didn't kill Lucy, but he should have realized that Paul was schizophrenic, should have listened to her, and should have had him put in restraints. 

For the next year, he suffered considerable physical pain from the stabbing. He became addicted to his pain medication. If it weren't for his friends, and especially Peter Benton, he would probably have ended up like his cousin Chase. They confronted him and, after he hit Benton, went to Atlanta and into rehab. 

He was living with Gamma at her house in Chicago, and went back to work after getting out of rehab. It has not been easy for him though. He had to submit to drug tests, and attend meetings to keep clean with Abby as his sponsor. Unfortunately, the craving for drugs was still there. He took two pills from a biker that was brought into the ER. Fortunately he realized the effects of the drug and managed to extricate them before they did any real damage. At Abby's urging, he eventually told Dr. Weaver about the incident and said that she would think about it, and he should continue to attend his meetings.

Up until today, he didn't have any nightmares about Lucy. He missed her, still thought about her, and still loved her, but the guilt wasn't as acute as it was during his physical recovery.

He looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table and realized that he still had a few hours before his shift. So he decided to get out of bed, take a shower, and have some breakfast. Perhaps taking things at a slow pace before going to work would help clear his mind.

He drove his Jeep Wrangler to work and arrived about a half-hour before his shift started. Dr. Weaver and Green were already there reviewing paperwork.

After saying his good mornings to his friends, he placed his coat in his locker, donned his white coat, signed himself in, and took his first case for the day.

It was a surprisingly calm day. There were the usual round of patients with injuries and illnesses, but, thankfully, only one trauma. The patient, a young woman in her mid-twenties, survived and would make a full recovery.

Later that day, Carter was checking his e-mail-he had an account with the hospital for communications and research-and received an unusual, and alarming, message:

Dr. Carter:

Technically, we've never met, but I know you. At least, I remember knowing you.

I am very sorry, but I've put your life into danger. This was never my intention, but this is largely because of who I am. I am being pursued by people who want me. They intend to kill you unless I turn myself over to them.

I may be able to live with her death on my conscience, but I cannot live with yours. You have been through so much pain and humiliation since that fateful Valentines Day. 

I know that you've felt guilty for her death. Please don't be. It wasn't your fault.

Now, to save your life, I have to tell you the truth. This will force you to revisit horrible memories, but there is no alternative. I can't save you and you will not survive if we do not help each other.

Meet me at the corner of 42nd and Wilsher at 2 A.M., local time, tonight. I'll be driving a blue wagon.

God help us all.

A Ghost From Your Past

At first, he thought that Sobricki sent the message, but then Carter remembered that he was still in a psychiatric hospital. Carter spoke to his wife after he returned to work. The question remained: who was the ghost from his past? The only death he felt guilty for on that day was Lucy. Maybe it was a friend, or relative of Lucy's. He finished checking the rest of his e-mail and logged out.

He didn't have the chance to talk to anyone else because that was when the trauma came in. It was near the end of his shift by then and he was tired. After signing out, he walked to his Jeep in the parking garage. He didn't realize that he was being watched. Before he knew what was happening, a blue Ford Crown Victoria pulled out of a parking space and attempted to run him over. He ducked out of the way just in time as the car sped past him and out of the garage. Just then, Kerry Weaver came over to him, having observed the entire scene.

"Carter! You ok?" She asked.

"I scraped my hand on the ground when I jumped out of the way, but I'm ok." He replied.

"Let's get you back to the ER and checked out." She finished.

An hour later, after giving a statement to the police and getting his hand bandaged, Carter went back to his Jeep, this time escorted by security, and drove home. Just minutes after settling in, he received a phone call.

"Carter" he said.

"Do you believe me now? They'll try for you again." He said, his voice full of concern.

"Who the hell is this?" Carter responded, frightened and angry. He didn't recognize the voice; its owner was male, American, and in his mid-twenties.

"Not on the phone. I will only say that this is not my real voice and I'm not the one that is trying to kill you."

There was a brief pause, and the caller continued.

"Do you want to live?" the voice asked.

"What do you want?" Carter asked.

"You remember the message I sent you?" he asked.

The email message he received.

"Yes" Carter said.

"Do you remember the location that was in the message? Don't say it, just yes or no." He said.

42nd and Wilsher.

"Yes." Carter said.

"Be there, and don't be late. You'll have only a ten minute window."

"Who-" he started but was quickly cut off.

"When we meet, you'll understand. Make sure you're not followed and be careful." The voice said and hung up.

After putting the phone down, Carter wondered who that was. He still didn't recognize the voice, yet it felt familiar.

The fact still remained: someone tried to kill him tonight. If this person was telling the truth he had to meet him. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to go to the meeting. He'd keep his phone and pager handy. As another piece of insurance, he stopped at Kerry's and told her about the email and the call. Kerry suggested calling the police, but Carter decided to meet the mystery man first. If he didn't call by that afternoon, then she should call the police and tell them what he told her.

Later that night, Carter was standing on the street corner, just two minutes before two in the morning. It was cold outside, the sky was clear and he could see some stars despite the lights from the city. As the caller suggested, he made sure that no one was following him and, so far, he didn't see anything out of place. In fact, he was the only one who was out of place standing on a street corner at two in the morning. He was so caught up in those thoughts that he didn't notice a blue Audi S6 wagon silently pull up to the curb until the passenger-side window rolled down. 

What he heard next was impossible.

"Get in." Said a ghostly-familiar, warm voice.

He had to be dreaming. He froze there, for a few seconds, staring at the open window, not wanting to move, and not wanting to look inside. Biting back his fear he gained enough strength to bend down far enough to look inside and see the owner of that voice.

He was speechless.

The driver was a young woman, in her mid-twenties, with blond hair, blue eyes, dressed in a dark winter coat, a green pullover, and blue jeans. He stared at her, open-mouthed, his face a clearly conveying his shock.

"Lucy..." he whispered.

Tears threatened to fall from his face. It couldn't be possible. She was dead, yet she was sitting there, very much alive and well.

"John. Please, get in the car now." She said, her voice calm and gentle.

Still in shock, he hesitantly opened the door and got in. Out of habit, he put on his seat belt as she put the car in gear and drove away, rolling up the window and locking the doors as they gained speed on the empty streets.

He didn't move, he didn't talk, but just stared at her. He closed his eyes and mentally counted to ten, thinking that this was a dream, and opened them again; she was still there. Then, he reached up and touched her cheek. He felt warm, soft skin, and caught her familiar scent. Her hand reached up and held his. He quickly withdrew his hand as if her hand burning hot and withdrew as far away from her as he could before he broke down into tears.

"No... No... This can't be." He said.

Lucy looked over at him, her eyes full of sadness and concern. She wished that she didn't have to do this. She wished that she could just kill herself rather than hurt him.

She returned her concentration to the road, letting Carter calm down on his own. She continually checked her mirrors for any tails before she pulled into an underground parking garage. 

After parking her car and shutting the engine off, she checked on Carter again. By that time, he had stopped crying and was just staring ahead at the blank brick wall in front of the car.

"Carter?" She said, but he didn't move.

"John?" She said.

She realized that he was in shock and chastised herself; she didn't think this would happen, though she planned for it. This was why Agents never attempted to contact family and friends of their host's lives. 

She quickly got out and went to the passenger side to get Carter. A quick search uncovered his cell phone and pager in his coat pocket. She turned the phone off-her pursuers could triangulate the signal- but she wasn't worried about the pager. He still wouldn't move, but she had planned on this. Pressing another button on her remote, she opened the rear hatch and took out a foldable wheelchair. After getting it set up, she rolled it to the passenger door.

She managed to get him out of the car and maneuvered him into the chair, her lean five-foot-three frame hiding her strength. She shut the door, and locked her car with the remote transmitter in her hand. Going to the elevator, glad for the late hour-it would be awkward for her to explain why she was pushing a handsome, and catatonic, Doctor in a wheelchair-, they arrived at the door to her temporary apartment. Unlocking the door with the key in her hand, she shut the door and secured it before continuing to the bed room.

After depositing him on the bed, she took off his coat and covered him with a blanket from the closet. After taking off her coat and pull-over, she checked his vitals. He was stable; his shock merely emotional. Hopefully, he would snap out of it in a few hours. She gave him a sedative, and held his hand for the next several hours.


	2. Day 2 -- Truth

**Day 2**

Ten hours later, he woke up in a strange bed in strange surroundings. This wasn't his room, he realized, and noticed that he was still fully dressed and covered in a blanket. Then, the memories came flooding back.

"Oh my god" he said again.

That's when he realized that there was a warm hand still grasping his. His gaze followed it along a slim, yet muscular, arm toward a shoulder covered in a medium blue t-shirt, to a slender neck, and finally to a face that was partially obscured by long blond hair.

Slowly, careful not to wake her up, he got his hand free and moved to her face. Maybe he just mistook her for someone else. He did have a nightmare the day before about Lucy, perhaps he hallucinated her last night-- the stress of that day having taken an emotional toll on him. 

He moved her hair away from her face to see who this mystery woman really was and froze again. He had to be dreaming, because instead of a beautiful blond woman he didn't recognize, he saw Lucy. Not someone who looked like Lucy, but _Lucy_. She was still asleep, and her face looked so peaceful and innocent.

He continued to watch her until her eyes slowly opened and focused on him. Their eyes met and for almost a minute, they simply stared at each other. She brought her hand up to touch his cheek. Out of confusion and anger, Carter started swinging wildly at her. Lucy quickly got up and straddled him; pinning his arms to his sides until he calmed down.

"Stop. Stop. Just calm down. Let me talk to you." She said.

"No." He said.

"Let me talk to you, ok?" She said.

"No!!!!" He said and broke out in tears again.

She released her grip on him and put her arms around him, holding him until he was calm enough to listen her. They laid back down on the bed and stayed that way. As soon as he was calm enough, they talked.

She revealed that she was not _the_ Lucy Knight, but a clone. The organization that she worked for recruited agents by cloning people who died senseless deaths. But what was really incredible was that they had perfected technology that allowed them to read and store memories. After Dr. Romano had finished sewing Lucy's chest closed and left her alone, the archiving team came in and scanned her brain, reading the RNA sequences that formed the basis for memory engrams. This technology was created almost thirty years ago, and the cloning process almost forty years before the first sheep was successfully cloned in the late 1990s.

She had been working as an Agent for almost a year when their security was compromised and several people were captured and killed. Most of their people were safely in hiding and regrouping. A small group, including her, were still on the run. Their pursuers had their files: information on their host's pasts. Each one of them were given an ultimatum: Give up and cooperate, or someone their host knew would die.

Of course, to ensure that their plan would succeed, they would not reveal who they targeted. Also, to ensure that the kill was clean, the person chosen would die a death that would appear "natural." In Carter's case, it would appear to be a random hit-and-run in the parking garage, or a drug overdose given his recent morphine addiction.

So, her plan was to protect Carter and avoid capture. To do this, she had to protect Carter personally. To ensure no one else would be targeted, she sent e-mails and pre-recorded voice messages to the hospital, media, and law enforcement agencies. She didn't expect any of them to believe her, but, if someone else died within the week, the warnings would get the police to take a closer look at the death. Her enemies wouldn't take the risk of being detected; they liked things quiet and neat.

Once Carter was safe, they would hide long enough for her people to find her pursuers and stop them. She was keeping in touch with her superiors with a portable satellite connection and a sub-notebook computer.

Carter was still skeptical about her story. Cloning was possible today largely due to computers and refined methodology. But forty years ago? It would only be that someone made that advance and kept it quiet. Archiving memory from the human brain? That still isn't possible, even today.

He realized that he was already late for work and had to check in before Kerry called the police. Lucy gave him a secure line through her computer/satellite setup and he called the ER. Kerry Weaver answered, relieved that he was ok. He only said that he indeed was in danger, but he met the mystery person and was safe. Dr. Weaver was now very worried and asked what was going on. He said he would be fine and to have everyone check their e-mail and voice mail for an important message. After reassuring her again, he hung up.

Over lunch, Carter and Lucy began to talk. Lucy couldn't give any specific details about the cloning process. But she was able to generally describe it without compromising security. Carter was expecting something like out of "The Matrix" and said as much.

To his surprise, Lucy laughed.

"No. It's not like what you see in the movies. You don't wake up and find yourself in a tank, inside a dark room with wires coming out of you and breathing liquid. It does start out in a similar way though." She said.

She continued on to explain the process. Using a blood sample, the genetic code was extracted and used to grow a fetus. The fetus is placed into an incubation tank, where it is allowed to develop at a far more rapid rate than a fetus would develop in a womb; the process took less than a month. The Agent is developed to the point just before their host's death and taken out of the tank. Kept under sedation, the agent is cleaned up, and placed in a large bed inside a very comfortable room. 

"It's important that when an Agent wakes up for the first time that they are as comfortable as possible." She explained.

The first week was a transition period. Most agents suffer shock and disbelief, along with the task of accepting new memories, which were added during the incubation period. 

After a few days, the agent proceeded to physical therapy to develop their muscles. Developing at a high rate of speed didn't allow the muscles to fully develop. The physical therapy lasts about a month, and advanced to include a program to build and maintain muscle tone. 

Then onto the training, which is mainly testing, since the knowledge and skills needed were programmed into the Agent's brain during their incubation period. Finally, the agent was given their new identity and went out into the world.

"How do you live? How do you handle not ever seeing your friends or family again?" Carter asked.

"One day at a time and new friends. That and lots of philosophical and religious information." She said, smiling.

"We are also given total privacy and access to any information about our families and friends. I kept an eye on my mother and sister for the first few months to see if they were ok." She said.

She hesitated for a moment.

"I also kept an eye on you." She said.

Lucy brought her hand up to his cheek.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. I couldn't just show up and tell you that I didn't blame you for my death."

"Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault either." Carter said.

They joined hands, drawing strength from each other, before she continued.

"I knew you got addicted to your pain medication. I still couldn't help you. But I did give you some comfort." She said.

"How?" Carter asked.

"Remember the flowers after you got out of detox?"

Carter remembered that first day out of detox. He was in his room, the first thing he saw were those flowers and the get well card. 

The inscription said:

**To John,**

**I know you've felt guilt and pain. You lost the way, but you will find it again. You will find strength within yourself, and you shall prevail.**

**A Former Med Student**

"That card made all the difference to me." He said, reminiscing about that moment.

"When I got back to Chicago, I tracked down every medical student I ever talked to. I never knew who sent them until now. Thank you." Carter said, tears starting to form in his eyes yet again.

"Hey. Just a little something to brighten your day." She said.

Their talking continued well into the evening. Carter placed another call, this time to Gamma, to let her know he was great, and was going to spend some time with a friend for the rest of the week. Gamma was also worried about him, but she could hear that he was happy; truly happy.

Lucy took the couch that night, with Carter in the bed. Carter insisted that he take the couch, but Lucy convinced him otherwise. Besides, she liked sleeping on the couch.


	3. Day 3 and Day 4 -- Finding the Truth and...

Carter got the lists from each hospital that same evening. Kerry already knew what was going on and got him the information without any questions. Likewise, Gamma's influence produced results just as quickly. Dr. Ross, however, took a little convincing, but, after talking to Carol, he faxed the list two hours later.

Lucy went to work immediately, working well into the night. There were at least thirty names and social security numbers that had to be painstakingly checked.

By two in the morning, Lucy had gone through the list three times without finding anything wrong.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No inconsistencies, no missing data, nothing to show that these people aren't who they say they are." Lucy said.

With a yawn, she locked down her system before going into the kitchen to have some tea.

"Well, it was a long shot. You said it yourself. Besides, it could be another random crime, or a patient." Carter said.

"I know, but two random attacks in one week is too obvious to be missed. They have no choice but to take a more subtle approach." She said.

She drank her tea in silence. After yawning a second time, Carter broke the silence.

"Well, you're not going to find it at two in the morning. So I suggest that we get some sleep and pick this up again tomorrow. " Carter said.

"I'm missing something... I feel like I'm missing something." Lucy said.

She went into the bathroom to change into a t-shirt and boxers before settling on the couch. Carter stopped her.

"Oh no. You're going to _bed_. It's my turn to take the couch. Doctor's orders." He said.

"Yes Doctor." She said in an amused tone.

She went into the bedroom and slipped under the covers.

"I'm missing something..." she mumbled.

Sleep claimed her quickly.

She found herself in a hospital exam room. It was dark, and there was loud music playing outside, along with the chatter of a party. Looking around the room, Lucy noticed Valentine decorations. Looking down, she saw a heart-shaped card on the floor. Bending down to pick it up, she noticed that is was for her, from Carter. She smiled warmly. Suddenly, she felt a presence in the room. Even though it was a dream, it felt real to her and her training took over. 

Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her chest and neck and fell to the floor. She was stabbed with a large knife. She couldn't move, paralyzed with pain and fear, she barely managed to move her eyes, hoping to catch her assailant. He slipped into the corner next to the door and waited, knife still in hand. Then, the door opened and she saw Carter walk in.

"No" she tried to say, but couldn't speak. The pain was so unbearable.

It was too late; the assailant came out from behind the door and brutally stabbed him in the lower back. He, too, fell to the floor just six feet away from her. Their eyes locked for a moment. Blood was pooling around his body. She managed to move her eyes again and catch the face of their attacker... She knew that face... 

She screamed.

She shot out of bed. Carter was already at her side, and was holding her. It was morning.

"Carter..." She said.

"Shhhh. It's ok. I'm right here. It was a nightmare." He said.

He held her, stroking her hair, until she calmed down. Their eyes locked for a what felt like a long moment. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. Carter pulled back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." He trailed off.

"It's ok. Oh god. Carter, there's another hospital we didn't check."

**Day 4**

Lucy had Carter contact Dr. Weaver again, to see if she knew someone that could get the information they needed. Unfortunately, it took most of the morning before they had their information. She had to ask for a favor from Dr. Romano to get the hospital to release the information, but they had the list by noon, and there was only one new employee in the past month, a Psychologist.

His name was Dr. Robert Benson. A background check immediately revealed several inconsistencies. The Social security number belonged to a man who died ten years ago. No other relatives or siblings. Plus, she found that all new information about him was entered into the various mainframes just a week after she went on the run.

A check on her organization's database got a hit. His real name was Alan Namen: famed interrogator and assassin. He had been on their wanted list for a long time. The picture they had on file showed a man in his late forties, with dark, graying hair, brown eyes, and horn-rimmed glasses. He was the epitome of inconspicuousness: calm, middle-aged, and dressed accordingly. But under it all, he was as cruel and cold-blooded as they came.

With the information in hand, and no time to lose, they ran to her car and drove through the streets of Chicago.

"It'll take us seven hours to get there." Carter said.

"We're not driving there Carter" She said.

She slid around the corners, the four-wheel drive Audi barely gripping the road as she dodged around other cars until they reached Midway Airport. After getting through the security gate, she drove past various aircraft and hangars until she found what they needed. She parked her car a discrete distance away before getting out of the car. 

"Relax, and follow my lead." She said.

They calmly walked over to the white helicopter with the Illinois State Police "Air One" graphics and got in.

"You can fly a helicopter?" He asked, amazed.

"If you can fly a kite, you can fly anything." She said.

After strapping in and donning headsets, Lucy flipped several switches as she turned on the various electrical systems. After turning on the fuel pumps, the powerful turbine engine came to life. Just then, Carter noticed several security and police officers rushing toward them.

"I suggest that you get this thing off the ground. I don't want to know what the penalty is for stealing a police helicopter." Carter said.

"It's grand larceny, which carries a sentence of one to five years depending on the offense." She said.

"Thanks for telling me." He said.

Working the controls, the single-engined Eurocopter Ecureuil AS 350 B2 lifted off the ground. With a bank to the right, Lucy increased altitude and they were off to Chester.


	4. Day 4 -- Irony

With the way that Lucy was flying the helicopter, at such perilous speeds and at such low altitudes, Carter was desperate to get his mind off her flying. The Midway Airport Control tower came over the radio, demanding that they return to the airport and land immediately. Looking behind them, they could see another police helicopter closing in on them.

"Hang on." She said.

She abruptly took the French-made helicopter into a dive, bringing the helicopter even closer to the ground, and a cry out of Carter, before leveling out just feet away. They were in a new commercial area, and there were several parking areas and office buildings. Lucy had little time to play around. Manipulating the controls like a veteran, she ducked behind a building, hovering while the pursuing helicopter passed them from above.

"Why Paul Sobricki? He tried to kill us--killed you." He said.

He couldn't believe that his life was in danger. He didn't deserve to die, but he brutally stabbed him in the back, and killed Lucy.

"Because he's a part of our lives. He didn't know what he was doing at the time. On top of it all, we're supposed to be saving lives. If he dies, it won't make anything better. I didn't come over seven thousand miles and over one month of running to lose a life, even if it's the one responsible for mine." She said.

Carter thought about that for a moment, remembering that Valentine's day, the spinal tap that he and Lucy performed on him. Carter realized that he felt pain, and thought that they were attacking him. He was married, with a wife, and now, a son. He didn't deserve to die.

His mind was made up and he answered with one word.

"Ok." He said.

As soon as the pursuing helicopter had cleared, Lucy brought their helicopter out of hover and increased altitude once again, taking the helicopter on a course that would take them south to Chester, Illinois.

"We should be there in less than two and a half hours." She finished.

As soon as they were clear of the Chicago city limits, she brought the helicopter up to its maximum cruise speed. They had enough fuel to cover the three-hundred and fifty mile distance to the hospital, with a few hundred miles to spare.

At the Chester Mental Care Center, Dr. Benson was following his temporary routine. It was interesting work for him as a psychologist. It will be unfortunate for him to leave so soon; first hand knowledge of mental illness was invaluable to his work as interrogator. However, he had a job to do, and a deadline to make. He had already altered Sobricki's computer file so that he would receive a medication that would cause a fatal interaction. As per his employers instructions, he already altered the various computer logs to cover his tracks. It was perfect: anyone investigating his death would conclude that it was a computer error and think nothing else of it.

His work was done. Packing up any trace of his true identity, he told his secretary that he was going out to lunch. He was almost to the front door when he heard a helicopter overhead. It was landing right in front of the hospital. He immediately saw the Illinois State Police graphics. Then he noticed that there were no other police cars or officers around the area. A young man and woman exited the helicopter.

He recognized one of the two that exited the helicopter as the decoy, Dr. John Carter. The pilot was the woman that his employer was pursuing. No! They'll ruin everything; he had to escape. He continued calmly walking to his car when she spotted him.

She ran after him, drawing out a semi-automatic handgun and aimed it square at his back. She came within ten feet of him and stopped.

"Freeze!" She shouted.

Damn her! He did as she said. She had the upper hand for the moment; only for the moment. He was armed with a Glock 7 inside his coat, all he needed was a few seconds.

Carter came to her side when he saw he draw her weapon.

"Lucy?" He said.

"I've got this covered Carter, get in there and help Sobricki." She answered.

The tone in her voice was one that Carter had never heard Lucy use before. It was a tone that made it clear that she was not going to argue with anyone.

"I'm going." He said.

Several of the hospital staff had already noticed the helicopter and came outside. Carter came up to them and showed his identification.

"I'm Dr. John Carter, Cook County General Hospital, Chicago. I have reason to believe that the life of one of your patients, Paul Sobricki, is in danger. The man that my friend is holding may be the one responsible." He said, his tone equally no-nonsense.

"I'm Dr. Hall, the Chief of staff. We've already called the police." The Doctor said.

"You better call an ambulance while you're at it. I need to see Sobricki right now." He said.

"This way." Dr. Hall said.

Carter went with Dr. Hall into the hospital while two of the orderlies remained with Lucy.

"Do you need any help Miss?" One of them said.

"No. Don't touch him, don't approach him, don't talk to him, don't even look at him. Is that clear?" She said without turning to face them.

"Yes Ma'am." The orderly said.

"Namen, I want your hands on top of your head." She said.

Namen hesitated for a moment. He was going to lose his opportunity to escape. Lucy noticed his hesitation.

"Do you want to get shot?" She said.

Namen did as he was told. After his hands were on top of his head, Lucy ordered him to drop to his knees. There! This was his opportunity. He had one chance. As he dropped to his knees, he deliberately went off balance, forcing one of his hands to catch his fall. Instead, he went for his weapon, rolled onto his side and fired at her. She hit the ground, returning fire as the Orderlies went for cover. He went for his car, firing as he ran. She was pinned down by his barrage of bullets and stayed on the ground. By the time she could regroup, he was already in the driver's seat and already burning rubber out of the parking lot.

The ambulance arrived before the police did, and, wasting no time, Lucy went with Carter to the hospital with Sobricki. Fortunately, the drug interaction was caught early, and after pumping Sobricki's stomach, he was stable. Carter and Lucy took a Taxi from the hospital before the police arrived and rented a car so they could get back to Chicago. They returned to Midway Airport to retrieve Lucy's S6, dumped the rental car, and went back to the apartment. By that time it was almost midnight. There was nothing else they could do for the night so they slept.****


	5. Day 5 -- Confessions

**Day 5**

Not having anything to do didn't give either one of them much sleep. Lucy was deep in thought, trying to figure out what Namen's next move was going to be. She knew him by reputation; he always had a backup plan if the primary failed. Therefore, it stands to reason that he will make one final attempt on someone from her past. The question was: who? She knew that he wouldn't try anything so soon. He wouldn't drive seven hours to Chicago and then carry out his plan. He'd wait, find the right moment, and then strike.

Carter was still reviewing the events that occurred the other day. They all seemed so surreal to him, and incredible. Yet, it was reality. He did ride in a stolen police helicopter, he did see Lucy Knight, his former med student, pilot it like a veteran, and he did save the life of the man who changed both their lives. Now, all he could do was wait until morning before they could make a move.

As soon as they got back to her apartment, they both took a shower and dressed for bed. Lucy took her turn on the couch while Carter took the bed again.

But she couldn't sleep so she got up and paced around the living room, not bothering to turn on a light. The apartment was small but, due to there being few pieces of furniture, spacious for her compact form to move around in. There was a beautiful view of the city from the window. She stared outside, trying to focus her thoughts, calm down, and get back to sleep. Then she heard Carter come in. He could see her form silhouetted in the light let through the window. She stayed where she was, not turning around, letting him approach her from behind.

"Couldn't sleep either?" She said, more a statement than a question.

"Yeah." He said.

"Join the club." She said.

She heard a short laugh from Carter.

"I hardly got any sleep for months after what happened." He said.

"I found it hard too. I had to deal with the memories of a woman who died and accept them as mine. Plus, I had to deal with adopting a new life that I didn't choose. I usually cried myself to sleep every night, and wake up a few hours later from a nightmare." She said.

Carter closed the distance between them and placed his hand on her shoulder, gently turning her around to face him.

"Lucy, I'm- "

She quickly stopped him with a index finger to his lips.

"Don't apologize to me Carter. What happened wasn't your fault. You didn't stab me, you didn't want me to die, and you certainly couldn't have possibly imagined where I'd end up next. You blame yourself because you survived and I didn't. If I had survived and you didn't, I'd feel the same way." She said.

She continued to talk. She had to let him know her feelings about what happened.

"When I was dying, I was scared for you. When I saw you drop to the floor in front of me, I so was afraid of losing you. I wasn't angry, and I didn't blame you for what happened to me. Even when I was dying, my last thought was that you'd make it. You're a good man Carter, one of the best Doctors, and a great teacher. Don't throw that away. I want, more than anything, to see you live a good long life. I couldn't stand the thought of you living unhappy and alone." She said.

She moved in and put her arms around him, pulling him into a warm embrace.

"I love you John Carter." She said.

Carter, once again in shock from her confession, snapped back into reality and encircled her in his arms.

"I love you too Lucy Knight." He said, his voice cracking from the tears.

They stood there, the lights of Chicago casting their shadows on the floor, in each other's arms. Their lips met in a slow, gentle kiss.

"I'm not sorry for that." He said.

She laughed softly, with a warm smile lighting her features in the darkness of the room. Fatigue started to set in for them.

"Will you spend the night with me? Not for sex, just be with me? I don't want to be alone." He said.

"I'd like that." She said.

With their hands joined, they went into the bedroom and got into bed. After settling into comfortable positions, they each fell into a peaceful sleep.

That morning, Lucy was the first to wake up, feeling refreshed. She turned and saw Carter, still asleep. Lucy gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek before carefully getting out of bed. She went into the kitchen and filled a kettle with water. Placing it on the stove, she went to the window to admire the city skyline. 

Suddenly, a loud explosion interrupted her thoughts. Looking out, she could see a small fireball and smoke in the distance.

The next thing she knew she was inside the building, or rather, what was left of it. Most of the walls were either gone or had gaping holes in them. There were no lights except for small fires scattered about and sparks from shorted electrical fixtures. Looking around she recognized the remains of medical supplies and a defibulator unit plastered into a corner of the room. Then she saw the blackened colors of the walls as a trauma room. She walked toward the wall to take a closer look and stumbled over something, falling to her knees.

She gasped when she saw that she stumbled over a dead body. The face was badly burned and blackened from the explosion, but it was clearly Dr. Corday. She was at County. Oh god.

She got up and ran out into what was left of the hallway and saw other bodies strewn in her path. Romano, Weaver, Benton, Anspagh, Green, Malucci, Kovach, and finally Carter. He was on the floor, in the same position he was in when he was stabbed. She saw dried blood covering his white coat, and his eyes open, staring out into space.

"Lucy..." a voice said.

"Lucy! Wake up!" He said.

Carter awoke to someone struggling in his arms. Lucy was having a nightmare. She woke up with a start.

"You're in the apartment Lucy." He said.

"I know." She said.

She turned to face him and gave embraced him with all the strength she had.

"I'm not going to lose you Carter." She said.


	6. Day 5 -- The Last Attempt

He cradled her body, her face buried in his chest. It was nice to be held, especially by him. She missed him; she missed him so much. But, they had unfinished business. Reluctantly, she pulled out of his arms and faced him, all business. "I know where he's going to make the last attempt." She announced.

Explaining the situation to him, they got out of bed and quickly dressed, modesty be damned, and went into the living room. Lucy opened a silver brief case, revealing several tools and devices that he didn't recognize, and pulled out a pair of cellular phones with headsets.

After clipping the phones to their clothing and donning the headsets, Lucy tested the units. She took two black nylon backpacks and placed the equipment they needed in each one. After a last check, they went downstairs to their car and drove out of the garage. 

"Shouldn't we call the police?" He asked.

Keeping her eyes on the streets she answered him without turning her head. "Not yet. Namen will be monitoring the police frequencies. If he knows the police are coming, he might panic. We have to check the hospital first. Then, if we find what I think we'll find, we call the cops."

They drove on to the hospital, taking various streets and alleys to avoid the rush hour traffic starting to form. Stopping outside the entrance to the emergency room to drop off Cater, Lucy drove into the parking garage to look for Namen while Carter ran into the ER to start his search.

He ran into Weaver in the lounge. Surprised he was here alone, she approached him. "Carter. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Kerry, I need you to evacuate the hospital. There may be a bomb." He said.

She then noticed that he was wearing a headset and there was a cellular phone clipped to his belt. After reading the e-mail warning and the attempt on Carter, she knew he wasn't crazy. Moving quickly and professionally, she made the announcement to the staff and began the evacuation. 

Someone contacted the police and they were sending the bomb squad, but there was a trauma in progress and the patient too unstable to be moved.

Carter began his search at the front desk. There were no bags or suspicious packages to be seen. He moved into the lounge and checked the lockers; they were all locked. A check of the refrigerator revealed nothing. 

Then, checking the cabinets, he found it. All the wires were black, and were either attached to the explosives or to a crudely-made circuit board. The explosives were four yellow sticks, which appeared to be packed with a plastic like substance. An LED display, a timer, was counting down. There was less than four minutes left. He reported his findings to Lucy.

A single bomb to take out the hospital, how cliched. "Ok, you've done your job, just get everyone out of there and wait for the bomb squad."

Carter got up and out of the lounge when he noticed there was a patient in trauma one that was unstable. Then, he realized that there were at least a half-dozen patients in the ICU. "We can't, there are too many critical patients. We can't get them all out in time."

Realizing that rush hour had set in, Lucy fully realized Namen's plan. "He planned this so that the police would be stuck in traffic. I'll be right there Carter." She said.

She was about to park her car and get out when she saw Namen getting into a gray BMW 5-Series sedan. "On second thought Carter, you're going to have to do it." She said as she quietly pulled back out of the parking space to follow Namen.

Oh god, don't tell me. "Do what?" He said.

"Diffuse the bomb. Don't worry, I'll talk you through it." She said.

She cursed; Namen had spotted her and smashed through the exit gate out of the garage. Lucy pulled out into street after him as he turned onto another street, the rear end of his car fish-tailing as the tires fought to regain traction.

"Lucy, all the wires are black." He said.

Clever bastard; that made the job even more difficult. "Damn. Don't worry about it Carter. Just talk to me. Describe the bomb to me. You're gonna be my eyes and hands. Just do what I tell you and trust me ok?" She said.

"All right." He said, and got to work describing the device. "There are four yellow sticks wrapped in a bundle. Attached to it is a timer with a digital readout counting down from three minutes and twenty-three seconds. I can see a circuit board with several wires attached to a small black box, and two other wires leading to the sticks."

Lucy turned onto another street, downshifting into second to catch up with the speeding BMW. They were approaching the entrance to the Eisenhower expressway.

"All right. First, don't move the bomb. Second, don't cut any wires. Since all the wires are black, we can't risk cutting them. So, we're going to give the bomb squad more time to dispose of it safely." She said.

Carter was beginning to sweat. "How the hell do we do that?"

"You jam the timer. If the timer doesn't reach zero, it won't detonate. That won't diffuse it, but it will buy you some more time. Open your bag; you'll find what you need. I'm going to tell you how to make a circuit that will bypass the clock and stop the timer." She said.

Carter sat down in front of the cabinet, opened his backpack and emptied its contents on the floor next to him. Kerry Weaver rushed in and saw him on the floor. "Carter! What the hell are you doing? Get out of here!" she yelled.

"Carter, what's going on?" Asked Lucy.

The chase had progressed onto the expressway. Namen crashed his BMW through a closed toll booth gate as he continued onto the busy highway. Lucy followed him, pushing her car's engine up to its redline to keep up.

"Weaver's here. She wants me to get out." He said.

"Tell her that we're trying to buy them more time to evacuate the hospital and to get out." She said, barely keeping her voice even; she almost rear-ended someone that Namen forced into her path.

"Just get everyone out of here. I'm going to help buy you some more time." He said. Kerry didn't move and got agitated. She was more worried than angry. "Damn it Carter, you are not a bomb expert. Now get-" He cut her off "- _you_ listen to me. We don't have time to argue. The bomb squad is not going to get here in time. If I don't stop this bomb, people are going to die. Now get out!" He said, making his tone clear that he was not going to argue with her.

Kerry didn't move, she wasn't going to leave her friend and colleague in front of a bomb. "Then I'm staying with you." She announced, sitting down on the floor next to him. "She wants to stay with me, what do I do?"

The chase had left the expressway, they were entering down town Chicago. Namen was sideswiping, and colliding with other cars to try and elude Lucy. His gray BMW 5-Series sedan was already sporting a broken headlamp cluster, a crushed right front fender, a missing passenger-side mirror, and numerous scrapes and dents. Lucy's S6 had no more than a few scratches, since Namen was merely clearing a path for Lucy to follow.

"Ok, listen to me carefully. Find a tool that looks like a small claw with several small teeth. It looks like an IC puller with several connection points on it. You should have one in your bag. See it?" She asked.

Carter rummaged around the contents of the bag on the floor, looking for the tool. He found the odd-looking tool and picked it up. "Got it." He announced.

"Ok, there should be a microchip on the circuit board. That runs the timer. Clamp the tool onto the chip." Her voice rose a note when she almost hit a sign post on the curb and sideswiped a parked car, smashing her passenger-side turn signal, marker lamp, and knocking her mirror off. "Sh-" She steered back behind the BMW and kept pace. They were lucky that no pedestrians have been hurt. However, the more time that was passing, the more likely it was going to happen. She had to stop him now. But first, the bomb. "Ok, there are some wires with alligator clips. You'll need five leads."

Kerry helped Carter fish out and untangle the leads. There was less than a minute left. "I've got them, now what?" He asked. Less than fifty seconds.

"First lead attaches to the top left pin, the other end to the second pin from the top right." Lucy was now looking for an opportunity to pass Namen and cut him off. It was going to take critical timing. "Done." She heard him. "The second lead attaches to the third pin from the left on the bottom, and the other end to the pin on the top right." Forty seconds and counting. "Third lead to the fourth pin from the bottom right, and the other end to the top left pin." Thirty seconds. "Done." Two more leads. "Ok, the fourth lead to the third pin from the bottom left to the second from the bottom left." Twenty seconds.... nineteen "Got it." Eighteen... One more lead. Seventeen... "Fifth lead attaches from the top right pin, to the-" Fifteen... "First pin on the bottom left" Twelve...

Carter made the last connection and the clock stopped at eleven seconds. He and Kerry let out a breath of relief. "It stopped Lucy." 

Back in the speeding car, she let out a sigh of relief. "Good work Doctor, now get out of there and wait for the bomb squad."

Just as she told them to leave, they could hear the sirens from approaching police cars. They both got up and exited the hospital just as the police arrived. Carter quickly told them where the bomb was and about the jammed timer and got to a safe distance.

"Lucy, where are you?" He asked. Back in the car, Lucy saw her opportunity to stop him. They were approaching a construction site near Mercy hospital. "I'm northbound on South Cook approaching one-hundred eleven Avenue. There's a construction site. I'm gonna cut him off." She saw an opening in traffic, down shifted into second, and buried the accelerator into the floor. The needle on the tachometer swept over to its redline as she was thrown back into her seat. The Audi wagon side-swiped the BMW as she pulled ahead of him from the right. "Lucy-" She cranked her wheel hard to the left, sending the Audi into the BMW, crushing her left fender. 

The collision knocked the BMW off the road and sent both cars careening into several pieces of heavy equipment. Namen slammed on his brakes and pulled up the parking brake handle, sending him into an uncontrollable skid. Keeping the last of her cool, Lucy let off the accelerator and tried to steer around the various pieces of equipment and workers in her path. She was still doing at least 40 MPH when she saw the metal framework of the new building rapidly enlarging in her windshield.

Carter heard the sounds of crushing metal and the screams of workers through the static of her cell phone. "Lucy!!!"


	7. Day 5 -- The Crash

Steam that was rising from what was left of the engine compartment mingled with the smoking remains of the battery. The left front suspension and wheel were crushed by a steel support beam. The windshield was sporting several cracks and spider webs. Inside, the air bags had inflated during the crash; protecting its driver.

Still belted in, Lucy was relatively unhurt. There was a bruise near her lower lip, and a burn mark from the air bag on her forehead. 

Momentarily dazed and shaken from the impact, she quickly regained her bearings and checked herself. No neck, back, internal injuries or broken bones: good.

"Lucy!!" She could hear Carter through the earpiece. Her cellular phone had survived unscathed and was still working. "Stop screaming in my ear Carter, I'm ok. Get the police and emergency services out-"

She was interrupted when her left rear window got shattered by a bullet. Ducking, she looked up long enough to see that Namen also survived. His BMW had hit a mobile crane, crushing the entire front end inward like a tin can. His face was covered in blood from a wound somewhere past his balding hairline. He was aiming for her car's gas tank. She had to get out now.

Pushing the air bag out of the way, she released her seatbelt and moved to the passenger door. The impact had distorted the body work on her left side, jamming the driver's-side door. The passenger door opened easily and she crawled out onto the dirt. Using her car to block his line of fire, she ran for cover just as another bullet penetrated her gas tank, rupturing it. What was left of her car erupted in a small fireball.

"Lucy, are you still there? Talk to me!" He shouted. She let out a breath. "I'm still here." Looking at the burning remains of her car, a memory of a burning Jeep surfaced. She chuckled. " It seems that we're even Carter; my car is on fire." Focusing back on the present, she circled around to try and get behind Namen. "Namen's still alive, and he's armed. Get a fire truck out here, and tell anyone arriving on the scene that there is a male suspect, armed and dangerous. You already have his description. Got it?"

Back at the hospital, the bomb squad was already inside and tending to the disposal of the bomb. Carter flagged down an officer holding back the crowd and relayed the information Lucy just gave him. "Ok, they're on their way Lucy. Just stay down and wait for them."

Namen was already on the move, attempting to lose her in the construction site. She followed him, keeping him in sight. "I can't, he's still moving. It looks like he sustained a superficial laceration on his head. I'm heading north through the construction site toward an office building on the north east corner."

Cater felt his heart rate increase. "Let him go Lucy. The police can catch him on their own." 

She kept following him. "He's a wanted terrorist and he tried to kill innocent people. He. Is. Mine." Using the same tone of voice when they were at Chester.

Several bystanders moved away when they saw a man covered in blood and carrying a gun enter the lobby. A security guard called out to him. He turned to face him and shot him in the chest, taking him down. There were several screams of panic as the lobby cleared out. Lucy entered the building, dodging the escaping bystanders. 

Wielding her gun, she noticed the guard on the floor. She went over to him and checked him. He was wearing a vest and he wasn't bleeding. His pulse was strong and stable, and he was breathing. Apparently he got knocked out when he fell to the floor.

"I'm in the lobby of the Harriman building. There's a Security guard down. He was wearing a vest and is stable." She heard the sound of a door being opened. Moving swiftly, she cautiously approached the entrance to the stairs. She could hear Carter talking to the Police Officer again. "Got-" He was cut off when her cellular phone exploded into several pieces of plastic, metal, and epoxy as a bullet impacted the casing. He was behind her! Her right thigh stung with pain from the impact. She ducked behind a corridor as Namen fired another shot.

She checked herself again. Her phone was destroyed; her only connection with Carter severed. Blood and battery acid had stained her blue jeans and shirt where pieces of plastic and circuit board had impaled her thigh.

Carter's heart skipped a beat when he heard a pop. "Lucy?" All he got was static. "Lucy, are you there?" No answer. "Lucy!" Oh god no.

No communications and no way of warning anyone; swell. She called out. "The police know where we are. They will shoot you on sight. If you turn yourself in, I promise you won't be harmed." Her thigh was starting to numb from the pain. The cuts were superficial; they just needed to be cleaned and dressed. 

Sneaking a look around the corridor, Namen was no where in sight. Hearing a sound from behind, she spun around in time to see it all happen in slow motion as she saw him fire, the bullet traveling toward her, blowing out her left knee cap. She cried out in pain as she fell to the ground. Namen smiled slightly as he fired again, hitting her in the right shoulder. Her gun clattered to the floor after being struck by the intense pain. Namen quickly approached her and kicked the gun away.

"Agent Knight, I presume. You have been a source of great distress these past few days. It's time to eliminate that source." He aimed for her head. Despite the intense pain from her knee she met his gaze unflinchingly; prepared for her death. "Nice to have met you Miss-"

"Freeze!" A voice called out behind him; it was the security guard that was on the floor. Distracted, Namen spun around, gun in hand, to take out the annoyance. "Drop your weapon!" The guard ordered, but had no choice but to fire when he saw him aim. Two rounds hit Namen in the chest and he fell to the ground, blood escaping from the wounds as he rapidly lost consciousness.

The guard approached cautiously. After kicking his weapon away, he checked for a pulse; he found none. He focused his attention on Lucy. "I need help in here!" 

Lucy reached in her pocket, wincing from the pain in her knee and shoulder, and pulled out a wallet containing an ID. She showed it to the guard. "I'm Lucy Wolf, Interpol. That man is a wanted terrorist. He's the one who attempted to bomb Cook County General." The wound in her shoulder wasn't so bad, but she was losing blood from her knee wound. She was starting to lose consciousness from the blood loss.

In reality, she wasn't an Agent with Interpol. Agents in her organization impersonated federal agents in the event they were incapacitated; it bought them extra time to escape. The paramedics came in and placed Lucy onto a stretcher and into a waiting ambulance.

The ride to Mercy was brief, since they were right near the construction site. She managed to instruct a paramedic to contact Dr. Carter before losing consciousness. In addition to her blown knee cap, the bullet had severed a major artery in her leg, causing the blood loss. The other bullet passed through fairly harmlessly; only grazing a tendon in her shoulder. After being given several units of blood in Mercy's ER, she immediately went into surgery to repair the artery and as much of the damage to her knee as they could.

Carter arrived less than twenty minutes after being contacted by the police. Lucy was still in surgery when he arrived at their OR. The surgery was brief, only an hour, but to Carter, it was the longest in his life. It was like when she was stabbed, only he didn't sleep through his surgery. 

After the surgery, the surgeon assured him that she was stable and would recover. When he saw her in the ICU, sleeping peacefully, he broke down. He was crying more from relief than from the guilt he was experiencing. He almost lost her again.

Holding her hand, he stayed with her throughout the day and well into the night. Nurses and Doctors came and gone. The Chicago PD and the FBI questioned him about the helicopter theft, the incident at Chester, and the attempted bombing, but didn't charge him and let him stay with her. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep in his chair.


	8. Day 6 -- Love and Trust

Lucy regained consciousness around one in the morning.

Her eyes slowly opened, immediately recognizing the walls of a hospital room. Her ears picked up the steady beeping of a heart monitor. Her nose the familiar sterile scent.

The room was dark, the only sources of light coming in from the window, and the door.

Her mouth and throat felt dry and she was thirsty; the result of the surgery they performed on her leg to stop the blood loss.

Her knee was gone, she felt it go when it was hit by that bullet. The pain wasn't so bad now; there was a dull ache in her leg and shoulder. Her right thigh was fine. She was on morphine through an IV.

Then, she saw Carter asleep in a chair, his head resting on her bed. His hand was still holding hers.

She called out his name "Carter" her voice hoarse.

She squeezed his hand, calling out his name again. He began to stir. Pulling his head up, he saw that Lucy was awake and smiled.

"Hi." he said, his other hand stroking her hair.

"Hi." Her voice slightly better.

He kissed her on the forehead. She was alive, and was going to make it. "Water please... thirsty" she said. Carter filled a plastic cup with water from a pitcher on a nearby table and added a straw. Careful not to aggravate her injuries, he eased her up enough so that she could drink.

After a few healthy gulps, she nodded in content and he helped her lay back down. "Thank You." Her voice sounding better, but the words affecting him more than he realized.

The tears came back and threatened to overwhelm him.

"Shh. It's ok," embracing him with her good arm, letting him cry into her shoulder. Tears formed in her eyes as well. It pained her to see him go through this again.

They stayed like that until the nurse came in, to check her vitals, and saw that Lucy was awake. Carter sat back up, wiping the tears from his eyes, and waited for the Doctor.

The surgery had, indeed, gone well. Her being awake and lucid was a good sign that she had no brain damage from the blood loss. Her shoulder would be fine in a few days. Unfortunately, her left knee was gone, as the surgeon was well aware, being the one that conducted the life-saving surgery on her leg. Lucy didn't even blink at the news. Partly, that was because she already knew, and also because she knew something they didn't.

Two FBI Agents then came in. They only asked her a few routine questions, saving the longer ones for the morning. To Carter's surprise, given all the tv shows and movies he'd seen, they had shown respect and compassion for her. Also admiration, considering that she taught him Bomb Disposal 101 over a cell phone while in hot pursuit of a terrorist. They told her that no one else was hurt, the guard that Namen at shot at was fine and home resting. The bomb at Cook County was safely disposed of and they resumed operations less than an hour later.

The two Agents thanked her for her time and left her and Carter alone.

What Lucy was going to do next was going to be hard for him. She couldn't stay in the hospital, let alone wait for the FBI to find out that she was not with Interpol and arrest her.

Carter still had the cell phone she gave him that morning. He handed it over to her, along with the earpiece, and hid them under her pillow.

She took his hand, "Do you love me?" He didn't hesitate to answer, "I love you." Those words meant a lot. "Do you trust me?" Again, no hesitation. "I trust you."

She took a breath. "Go home and get some sleep." Sensing he was about to protest, she squeezed his hand and continued. "Please. Just go home and rest. I promise, I'll be fine. I will fully recover and you will see me again." She sat up and kissed him, a kiss which sealed her promise.

He did as she had asked and went home, took a shower, and crawled into bed. Sleep claimed him quickly and he slept soundly. He had no nightmares, and no doubts as to what would happen in the morning.

He got up, showered, dressed, gave Gamma a hug, had breakfast, and drove to Mercy. He took the elevator up to the ICU to find police and FBI running around. He went to her room...

...and her bed was empty.

--

This was not the end of their story, just the end of the story of how they met.


End file.
